I never tip- is that wrong?

[Polarthief]

The industry (the owners of the chains) lobbied to have a separate server wage, so that they could offer cheaper pricing and entice more customers.

It is NOT included in the price of your food, specifically and by law.

If tipping was not a thing in the US, the cost of your meal would go up. I would personally be fine with this, since it would shut up all the people who bitch about tipping and stiff servers, but it's not going to happen overnight, if at all, and you not leaving money at your meal tomorrow isn't moving us any closer to it.

Not to mention it would overall bring in less people eating out because it's more expensive, which would overall lead to even less revenue and less customers tipping servers. Literally, everyone would lose in this scenario.

---------- Post added 2013-05-18 at 09:50 PM ----------

Get over yourself. I wouldn't want to tip an asshole waiter or waitress but how many times have you honestly had a legitimately rude person waiting on you? Probably not that often.

I've never had "rude" servers, but I've had legitimately BAD servers. Took drink/food orders, brought us our drinks and we never saw him again.

PS: Place was absolutely dead, which makes it even worse.

[Deleted]

No sir, you pay for food and atmosphere. If you received good service, then you should tip them based on how well they did.

Many restaurants DO allow you to pick up your food, and even eat it there, and in most cases, that doesn't normally warrant a tip (unless we're talking actual fine dining).

Also, servers do plenty more than "take an order and bring you food". Bad servers will just take your order and give you one round of drinks; not even bring you your food. Good servers will be constantly moving between 3-6 tables, taking orders, bringing drinks, apps, refills (multiple times for multiple people PER table), food, check, and change. The amount of brainpower it takes to have such time management skills still makes me wonder how good servers manage to do such things.

If you really don't think they do much, then you're just ignorant.

Now if the place is dead and they only have like 1-2 tables, then it's a bit different.

No I shouldn't have to do shit. What SHOULD be done is to give these people minimum wage to begin with, that's what SHOULD be done.
This is an issue with the employer/government rules for minimum wage, it's not about me not being nice or ignorant.

They should have it like everyone else. You do a good job that means good advertisement for the restaurant and they'll give you a raise.
That is the proper way of doing things. A paying costumer is already doing just that, paying. It's not up to us to pay the salary of someone elses employee because they can't be arsed to cover it entirely.

[Atrea]

No I shouldn't have to do shit. What SHOULD be done is to give these people minimum wage to begin with, that's what SHOULD be done.
This is an issue with the employer/government rules for minimum wage, it's not about me not being nice or ignorant.

They should have it like everyone else. You do a good job that means good advertisement for the restaurant and they'll give you a raise.
That is the proper way of doing things. A paying costumer is already doing just that, paying. It's not up to us to pay the salary of someone elses employee because they can't be arsed to cover it.

The problem is, serving is a much more difficult and demanding job than many give credit for, and with tips, a server can earn an equivalent wage a bit higher than minimum wage.

If all you were going to get is minimum wage, and no tips, not many people would sign up for it.

If you think it's an easy job, I invite you to test your theory. It's easy to play armchair cynic, but it's a lot harder to put your money where your mouth is. No one who has ever worked as a server or bartender will tell you their job is easy. There's a reason for that - it isn't.

[Amnasty]

If where your eating pays a server minimum wage, tip at your own discretion. But if where your tipping pays employees under minimum wages *sometimes grossly under wage, I work at a place that gave me 3.75 an hour thats 50% of the minimum in my State in the US* tipping is expected... you can throw down an extra buck.

If i sat down at a table with 6 of my friends, and had you refilling my drinks, bringing 6 entrees, 6 desserts, 2 rounds of shots, talk to me, make me aware of the menu, make sure im not eating something i might have a potential deadly allergy to, and then we occupy that table for 1 hour, DO YOU think it would be fair if i let you do all that work for 3 dollars and seventy-five cents?

[Tribunal]

No I shouldn't have to do shit. What SHOULD be done is to give these people minimum wage to begin with, that's what SHOULD be done.
This is an issue with the employer/government rules for minimum wage, it's not about me not being nice or ignorant.

They should have it like everyone else. You do a good job that means good advertisement for the restaurant and they'll give you a raise.
That is the proper way of doing things. A paying costumer is already doing just that, paying. It's not up to us to pay the salary of someone elses employee because they can't be arsed to cover it entirely.

That's great, but how do you justify your behavior in the meantime? "This newspaper SHOULD only cost 25 cents so that is all I am going to pay!!" is childish and illegal.

It should be illegal in this case (theft of services) but unfortunately isn't.

[Nurabashi]

I'm from Australia, so the tip is usually included into the bill, and if you don't tip, it's totally fine. But reading what other people are saying, specifically those from countries that tipping is the norm, I think that if the server is earning below minimum wage, then yes, it is wrong that you don't tip.

[Amnasty]

That's great, but how do you justify your behavior in the meantime? "This newspaper SHOULD only cost 25 cents so that is all I am going to pay!!" is childish and illegal.

It should be illegal in this case (theft of services) but unfortunately isn't.

People like that get it back when they run into a pissed off server whos been stiffed multiple times in 1 day. Ive seen it happen.

Point is if your going out you SHOULD ALWAYS, bring extra money for a tip.

If tipping is to much, stay your ass home and microwave yourself a hungry man tv dinner. and save table for people who will tip.

[Jayded1]

I have never tipped a dime in my life. Why do people feel obligated to get money as if i'm already going to give it to them?

Usually the task they're doing requires no brain work at all, so why should I reward you?

I just frustrates me. Am I wrong to thing this?

Are you aware that the legal minimum wage for a server is lower the regular because they are expected to make tips?

[Low Hanging Fruit]

If people were paid at a level that made it to where you could live in accommodation better then a card board box then it wouldn't be so bad. But the system is set up for a lot of people to have to receive tips to even meet minimal wage. Let alone make a minimal living.

Also if you tend to use the same places of business over and over again it is a good idea. Got a favorite pizza place or Chinese deliver that you eat at often? If you tip decently well they tend to head to your place first on a 3 house trip. You will always get your order right. All the stuff on the side will be in abundance. Trust me they remember you. The same goes if you get to be known as the guy that doesn't tip. Just let the pizza roll around in the trunk and leave it on your door step mentality will happen over time.

[Azgraal]

In my entire life i think i tipped 2 or 3 times, and that's because the service i received was extremely good. Employees are paid to do their jobs well, otherwise is pointless for them to be paid a salary altogether. If they wanted to get a better payment they should have a different job. If the problem is the legal system allowing employers to underpay their employees, then it's the law that's screwed up. The end consumer should not be held acountant to support the "cheapassery" of bosses all around.

A tip is a reward for someone who went above and beyond their primary duty to ensure their patrons are well taken care of (look at it like a medal of honor in commerce), not a way to overtax the consumer as a mean to lighten up employer's monetary duty to their employees.

---------- Post added 2013-05-19 at 03:03 AM ----------

Are you aware that the legal minimum wage for a server is lower the regular because they are expected to make tips?

Then it's the system that is flawed and has to be changed. That just allows business owners to take up a bigger cut in the profit by not paying what they should to their workers.

[Flatspriest]

Perhaps the OP should watch the movie Waiting http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348333/ and realize that you do NOT piss off those who handle your food.

[Amnasty]

In my entire life i think i tipped 2 or 3 times, and that's because the service i received was extremely good. Employees are paid to do their jobs well, otherwise is pointless for them to be paid a salary altogether. If they wanted to get a better payment they should have a different job. If the problem is the legal system allowing employers to underpay their employees, then it's the law that's screwed up. The end consumer should not be held acountant to support the "cheapassery" of bosses all around.

A tip is a reward for someone who went above and beyond their primary duty to ensure their patrons are well taken care of (look at it like a medal of honor in commerce), not a way to overtax the consumer as a mean to lighten up employer's monetary duty to their employees.

---------- Post added 2013-05-19 at 03:03 AM ----------



Then it's the system that is flawed and has to be changed. That just allows business owners to take up a bigger cut in the profit by not paying what they should to their workers.

Feel free to stay away from any tables Im serving... be kind and save it for someone who isnt a cheap bastard and is willing to pay me for my service.

[Azgraal]

People like that get it back when they run into a pissed off server whos been stiffed multiple times in 1 day. Ive seen it happen.

Point is if your going out you SHOULD ALWAYS, bring extra money for a tip.

If tipping is to much, stay your ass home and microwave yourself a hungry man tv dinner. and save table for people who will tip.

Thank the Allmighty that sort of mentality is laughed at here in Europe. If you set something's price at 5€/$/£, it's illegal here to charge anything for more than that, no matter the reason. A business, for example, a restaurant, should pay its employees with money earned by the restaurant's monetary income, not ask the patrons to sustain the employees AND pay full price for a meal too.

[Kaneiac]

The only thing I hate about tipping is the entire percentage thing. If a waiter does the same amount of work for two separate tables, but one happens to be 130 dollars and the other is 65, why do they deserve more money for the more expensive order?

Maybe I'm just being pedantic but the entire "AT LEAST 10% YOU FUCKING HEATHEN" is so dumb.

[Azgraal]

Feel free to stay away from any tables Im serving... be kind and save it for someone who isnt a cheap bastard and is willing to pay me for my service.

I already worked in the food business before, and i rarely was tipped, and it was always slim tips like 1€ or lower (even though i earned the restaurant's best server award two months in a row) because that's just not the mentality here. Thankfuly the system here works that everyone is obligated by law to pay every worker at least mininum wage, no matter their function, IF they work full time schedules.

Oh and btw Amnasty, your boss SHOULD be the one paying for you to work for HIM, not expect you to earn enough from good willing costumer.

[Amnasty]

The only thing I hate about tipping is the entire percentage thing. If a waiter does the same amount of work for two separate tables, but one happens to be 130 dollars and the other is 65, why do they deserve more money for the more expensive order?

Maybe I'm just being pedantic but the entire "AT LEAST 10% YOU FUCKING HEATHEN" is so dumb.

Thats not true, Some pay 130 dollars from something and someone else paying 65. Theres a big difference in what was ordered. So what you might precieve is the same with, is not. There is a lot more care given to the 130 check, because the food might be of higher quality, there was more running back and forth to a bar, or there were more people to attend to.

---------- Post added 2013-05-18 at 10:15 PM ----------

I already worked in the food business before, and i rarely was tipped, and it was always slim tips like 1€ or lower (even though i earned the restaurant's best server award two months in a row) because that's just not the mentality here. Thankfuly the system here works that everyone is obligated by law to pay every worker at least mininum wage, no matter their function, IF they work full time schedules.

Oh and btw Amnasty, your boss SHOULD be the one paying for you to work for HIM, not expect you to earn enough from good willing costumer.

But its not like that here.

Regardless of what should or shouldnt be done legally by the federal government. The laws of the land as is, expects the consumer to tip the server, and then the goverment further taxes us on the tips we do make.

Where i live it falls on the customer, and the average consumer expects when going to a place to eat, to tip, at least SOMETHING.

[Kaneiac]

Thats not true, Some pay 130 dollars from something and someone else paying 65. Theres a big difference in what was ordered. So what you might precieve is the same with, is not. There is a lot more care given to the 130 check, because the food might be of higher quality, there was more running back and forth to a bar, or there were more people to attend to.

Except not always. Last weekend I went to a steakhouse and had a small, cheap steak. Only like, 17 dollars, and the total bill was somewhere in the 60s. Weeks prior, I went for something a bit higher and it cost 33 dollars for mine and it was in the range of 90. Same amount of plates. What "care" would he have done to the more expensive check? Would he try harder just because my meal is more expensive? If that's the case, then it's a broken fucking system. The same amount of effort should be provided to every table - not the more expensive ones because a more lucrative tip is possible.

It's a pedantic point but one that always nagged at me. Don't see why the waiter deserves even more of my money just because I decided to splurge a bit.

A lot of my friends who are waiters are making ABOVE and BEYOND minimum wage anyways. That's probably why a lot of folks are for keeping tips instead of just flat paying them minimum wage.

[Potente]

Im not gonna read through all the above posts. Stop eating out now if you dont tip. Stay at home or eat your mcdonalds. Servers make below min wage and depend on tips to pay bills. They dont get paychecks cause of all the taxes. You should be ashamed of yourself. If you make the mistake of eating out again I hope you get food poisoning.

[Deleted]

That's great, but how do you justify your behavior in the meantime? "This newspaper SHOULD only cost 25 cents so that is all I am going to pay!!" is childish and illegal.

It should be illegal in this case (theft of services) but unfortunately isn't.

So you're saying I should give them pity money because someone else doesn't pay them for the service they employed them to perform.
And if service is a different branch, then why the fuck is it forced upon the costumer when it's not wanted or needed?

When I go to a restaurant I am in the belief that I'm paying for both food + service, I see them as one entity. If I want service as an optional then I'd pay you full price for that service, not tip extra for something I am in belief I am already paying for. That's how I justify it.

[kirit0]

I have never tipped a dime in my life. Why do people feel obligated to get money as if i'm already going to give it to them?

Usually the task they're doing requires no brain work at all, so why should I reward you?

I just frustrates me. Am I wrong to thing this?

Nothing wrong you are just cheap mf that's all!